Continued: Mayo Clinic aims for more Pentagon funding

The Pentagon funds projects for all branches of the military, including the Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Mayo’s ties to the armed forces date back more than a century.

During World War I, the clinic opened field hospitals and developed mobile clinical laboratories, sending units to the western front in France. In World War II, it trained medical officers, fielded medical units to the Pacific and worked with the military to develop the in-flight oxygen mask, the pressurized flight suit and survival techniques for parachute jumps.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, amid mounting fears of bioterrorism, Mayo went to work creating a rapid response test for anthrax exposure that shortened the testing period from days to less than an hour.

The Pentagon now consults with Mayo on treatment for troops exposed to pollutants and chemicals in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mayo also coordinates immunization schedules throughout the armed forces.

Mayo’s collaborations with the Pentagon go beyond traditional research, and include a training simulator that prepares soon-to-be-deployed military medical personnel for combat duty.

Mayo’s research also has applications beyond the battlefield, such as work on managing chronic pain and the aftermath of traumatic brain injury.

Corey Mitchell is a correspondent in the Star Tribune Washington Bureau. Twitter: @C_C_Mitchell